Search-light for revolvers or other firearms.



PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

B. G. EIBLET.

SEARCH LIGHT FOR REVOLVERS OR OTHER FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

Patented March '7, 1905.

PATENT Oriana.

BYRON C. RIBLET, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

SEARCH-LIGHT FOR REVOLVERS OR OTHER FIREARMS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,227, dated March 7, 1905.

Application filed August 1,1904. Serial No, 219,126.

T0 ail whom it may concern Be it known that I, BYRON C. RIBLET, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokaneand State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Search-Lights for Revolvers or other Firearms; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a search-light for use at night-time for revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and firearms in general; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a screened search-light for revolvers that will throw or reflect a beam of light ahead ofthe revolver and screen the holder of the revolver from the light; second, to provide an electric searchlight and battery for revolvers that will refiect a light ahead of and in line with the revolver and that will screen the user of the re volver from the light; third, to provide means for applying an electric light and'battery to revolvers and firearms in such a manner that the light therefrom can be utilized to search, locate, and illuminate the object at which the user wishes to point the revolver and at the same time to shield or screen the user; fourth, to provide means for attaching to firearms a battery-operated screened e1ectricsearch-light. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a revolver, illustrating the preferred construction of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating a modification. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 2.-

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a revolver. My invention is more particularly adapted to this type of firearm than to any other, although a search-light may be applied to all other types of firearms, if desired. The revolver, however, is used for personal protection, and my invention enables turn on the electric light, and explore the house with the revolver in hand, throwing a strong light directly ahead of it on every object it is pointed at, thus enabling the holder of the revolver to see everything plainly, and consequently to point and aim the revolver correctly.

While the search-light and battery may be applied in any suitable manner and to any point of the revolver or other firearm and while the search-light used maybe of any suitable kind such, for instance, as a gasolenelight -I preferably use an electric light and battery and preferably provide the handle 2 of the revolver with a chamber 3 and arrange it to receive the battery 4, which is secured therein by any suitable means that will permit the battery to be easily removed, sothat the revolver may be carried or used during the day-time. A spring-clip 5 may be used ,for this purpose, if desired, and the clip may be secured to the side of the handle and 1s provided with a projection 6 at its lower end, which extendsbeneath the battery and holds it in position in the chamber, or, if desired, a cap may be secured to the end of the handle of the revolver to close the chamber.

The search-light used comprises a substantially conical hood 7, within the small end of' which is suitably secured an incandescent bulb 8. The front end of the hood is provided with a lens 8", and the inner surface of the hood is a reflecting-surface. This hood is preferably located at the under side of the barrel of the revolver and is secured thereto in the following manner: Upon each side of the barrel of the revolver I form a rib 9, which ribs extend rearward from the front end of the revolver-barrel a suitable distance and gradually increase in thickness toward their rear ends. The hood is provided on each side with a spring-plate 10, which plates extend a suitable distance above the hood and are crimped at their upper ends to form grooves 11, which are adapted to engage the tapered. ribs 9, as shown in Fig. 3. The'hood is slipped rearward until the grooved ends of the plate 10 bind the tapered ribs sufiiciently to hold the hood in place, at which time a terminal spring 12, secured to the light-bulb, will engage a depending portion 14 of the revolver and another terminal spring, 13, will engage a contact 15, from which a circuit-wire or spring 16 extends rearward to a push-button 17 located upon the side of the revolver in position to be conveniently pressed by the thumb of the hand grasping the handle of the revolver. The contact 15 is suitably insulated from the depending portion 14 of the revolver-barrel. The push-button 17 when pushed in engages one end of a plate 18, the other end of which is attached to a post 19 on the battery-casing. To the battery-carbon 20 is secured a spring 21, which is designed to contact with the metal portion of the handle of the revolver. The current thus passes from the carbon through spring 21 to the-metal portion of the revolver, which transmits it to the terminal 12 of the light-bulb, thence through terminal 13, contact 15, and spring 16 to push-button 17, and when said button is pressed in against plate 18 a circuit is formed and the light turned on. The circuit between the battery and searchlight is normally broken and is formed at the will of the person holding the revolver by pressing the button 17. quickly removed whenever it is not required, and the spent batteries may also be quickly removed and replaced with fresh ones.

In Figs. 2 and 4 I have illustrated a modification of my invention in which I dispense with the battery in the handle and employ a combined battery and search-light 22, commonly known as the pocket-flash. This battery and light are secured upon the under side of the barrel of the revolver by clampplates 23, which are secured to the battery and are adapted to partially encircle the revolver-barrel 24:, which is preferably tapered,

so that as the battery is slid thereon the plates 23 will frictionally engage the said barrel and hold the battery in place. The light is turned on or oif by manipulating a slide 25.

While I have illustrated one method of attaching an electric light to a revolver, I do not wish to be limited to it, as my invention contemplates, broadly, the application of a search-light of any kind and particularly an electric light to a revolver or other firearm in any manner that the application may be accomplished to house the light and reflect and throwit forward in line with and ahead of the revolver and keep the holder of the revolver behind the light and in the dark. The lens will cause the light to take the form of a circular plane or disk when it falls upon an object, thus indicating the'eXact direction in which the revolver is pointed.

The search-light may be Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a search-light for revolvers, the combination with a revolver having a chamber in its handle, of a battery located in said handle and a springcatch which holds said battery in place; a tapered rib upon each side of the barrel of said revolver; a search-light secured upon said barrel, comprising a reflecting-hood having a light-bulb in one end, and a lens in the opposite end; spring-plates on the sides of said hood having grooves which slide upon said tapered ribs and means for forming an electric circuit between said battery and said searclrlight, substantially as described.

2. In a search-light for revolvers, the combination with a revolver having a chamber in its handle, and a tapered rib on each side of its barrel, of a search-light secured upon the under side of said barrel comprising a reflecting-hood having spring-plates upon its sides, the upper ends of which are grooved and engage said tapered ribs; a lens in the front end of said hood, and a light-bulb at its rear end, having spring-terminals secured thereto, one of which contacts with the revolver; a battery secured in the chamber of said handle; a con ductor extending from the battery-carbon to the metal portion of the handle; a circuit-wire which contacts at one end with the other lightterminal and is secured to a push-button at its other end; a conductor, one end of which lies in the path of the push-button, while its opposite end connects with the battery; said push-button being arranged to make or break an electric circuit between said battery and said search-light, substantially as shown.

3. A revolver having a chamber in the handle thereof; a battery in said chamber, a conductor connecting the battery-carbon with the metal portion of said handle; asearch-light having spring-terminals, one of which contacts with a metal portion of the revolver while the other connects with a circuit-wire insulated from said revolver and being connected at its opposite end to a push-button, a conductor-plate, one end of which lies in the path of the push-button, while the other end connects with the battery and means for removably securing said search-light upon the barrel of said revolver, and said battery within the handle thereof, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BYRON C. RIBLET. 

